The Regressed Sword Demon Changes the Future

He was Jang Baekseo, who had been in the Demonic Cult before his regression.

Due to its geographical location, the Demonic Cult was a place like a trade hub where various cultures, in addition to the culture of the Central Plains martial world, came and went. Naturally, along with the flow of such cultures, the martial arts of each region and country were also transmitted.

Among the martial arts transmitted in that way, there were also those of the Southern Barbarians and the Blue Flag (Westerners) who had come up by sea from a distant western country.

According to a Blue Flag merchant he had met by chance in the Demonic Cult, the land they lived in was not a form where one huge country ruled the continent like the Central Plains, but a form where countless small countries gathered on one continent and lived together.

As a result, wars between countries occurred frequently, and since it was not a simple personal dispute but a war between countries, even if small, they often fought thoroughly armed with armor like a military, rather than fighting bare-handed like the martial artists of the Central Plains.

In such an environment, their martial arts naturally developed in the direction of subduing an opponent armed with armor.

Simply put, since slashing attacks did not work properly on those wearing iron armor, techniques using blunt weapons to crush the armor or stun the opponent developed, and in another way…

'Techniques such as disarming the opponent or breaking their bones using grappling art by digging in at close range, rather than cutting the opponent with a sword, developed!'

Since Jang Baekseo had taken a path quite different from the Central Plains martial arts-first principle through the Twelve Paths, Three Forms, he had actively learned these foreign techniques without hesitation, and that was now shining right here.

"You, you used a cheap trick…!!"

Jeongpung, who was clutching his sore shoulder, muttered as if spitting it out.

Jang Baekseo did not give any reply to his words.

It was true.

The technique that Jang Baekseo had just used was, after all, not that great of a technique.

That's why, as a preliminary work, he had injured Jeongpung's wrist and had deliberately induced the Songfeng Sword, a fast sword that a third-generation disciple of Qingcheng would surely have learned.

Since the Songfeng Sword was a fast sword with many thrusting forms, Jang Baekseo had known in advance that its first move would be a thrust, and he had succeeded in the technique by aiming for that gap.

Even if he tried the same technique on Jeongpung again later, it would be difficult to succeed so perfectly.

But so what?

There were not many things in the affairs of the martial world.

First, there was no playing around.

Second, there was no mercy.

And third, there was also no 'what if'.

Even if Jang Baekseo's grappling art was a cheap trick and would not work properly if he used it again next time, as Jeongpung had said, the fact that he had injured his shoulder with Jang Baekseo's grappling art at this moment was an unchangeable fact.

Jang Baekseo approached Jeongpung, who already had the face of a loser.

"Keuk!?"

Jeongpung flinched and stepped back, then stopped.

If he stepped back here, it would be an act that would tarnish not only his reputation but also the name of Qingcheng.

He could accept his own defeat, giving a hundred concessions.

But he could never bear to tarnish the reputation of Qingcheng.

Jeongpung gripped his sword, ignoring his already tattered wrist and shoulder.

Although his arm was trembling like an aspen tree, he didn't care.

'Ho ho?'

Jang Baekseo honestly saw that and came to see the person named Jeongpung in a new light.

Honestly, he had thought he would just shout and scream things like 'You're a coward!', but it was unexpected that he had such a firm side.

Jang Baekseo slowly approached Jeongpung.

The more he did, the more Jeongpung's hand holding the sword trembled, and Jeongpung's eyes also trembled violently like an aspen tree.

The moment the distance between the two narrowed to the point where the tip of the sword would touch the neck if they swung their swords!

"I have lost."

At Jang Baekseo's unexpected words, Jeongpung's eyes widened.

Not only Jeongpung, but also the audience murmured at the unimaginable bombshell.

When the murmuring audience quieted down, Jang Baekseo looked around the audience and shouted loudly.

"This duel was unreasonable from the beginning."

At those words, the crowd nodded their heads. In fact, they had let it be because it was interesting, but since it was a duel between Jeongpung, who was at the first-rate level at the age of twenty, and Jang Baekseo, who was at the second-rate level and not even of age yet, this duel was an overwhelmingly disadvantageous fight for Jang Baekseo from the beginning.

But the words that came out of Jang Baekseo's mouth were completely different from their thoughts.

"This duel was too disadvantageous for Young Hero Jeongpung from the beginning."

Before the crowd could murmur at Jang Baekseo's completely unexpected words, Jang Baekseo quickly added.

"It's a natural thing. Against me, who has a significantly lower second-rate level, Young Hero Jeongpung could never have shown his true skills. As proof of that, Young Hero Jeongpung used the Songfeng Sword to broaden my horizons, when he could have just continued to use the Seventy-Two Wave Sword, which I could not properly respond to."

At the words that sounded plausible, the crowd nodded their heads one by one.

"This time, with a stroke of luck, Young Hero Jeongpung was injured in the shoulder by the trivial cheap trick of grappling art that I unfolded, but this is only a result of Young Hero Jeongpung's consideration and my stroke of luck! It is by no means a result achieved solely by my skill, so I will humbly admit my defeat here."

At first, the people were bewildered by Jang Baekseo's words, but soon, one by one, they began to clap, and soon, a loud applause and cheers poured down on Jang Baekseo and Jeongpung.

As the duel seemed to be ending in this way, the disciples of Jeongpung and his master, Grandmaster Gwang Oh, who had been watching Jeongpung with concern from below the training ground, hurriedly jumped up to the training ground to check on Jeongpung's injuries.

Leaving them behind, Jang Baekseo came down from the training ground and approached the members of the Mysterious Profound Sect.

"Haha, I lost."

The people of the Mysterious Profound Sect, who were silently watching Jang Baekseo, who was scratching the back of his head and saying that calmly, soon rushed to Jang Baekseo at once as if they had made a promise.

"You brat! You brat! You brat! You magnificent brat~! Where did you learn such a cute technique!!"

At Cheong Yeonah's question, who was grabbing Jang Baekseo's head and messing it up excitedly, Jang Baekseo took out the answer he had prepared in advance and recited it.

"W-well, I learned a little from the wanderers I met when I went out to the streets on my day off."

The Mysterious Profound Sect was a sect with a Daoist color, not a Daoist sect. That's why its location was not in the mountains but on a corner of the streets of Gangjeong County, and the disciples of the third generation also went out to play or go on a city outing on their days off from training.

And now, Jang Baekseo was saying that he had learned grappling art from the wanderers he had met by chance when he went out on such a day off.

Since the grappling art he had used in the fight with Jeongpung was not that advanced of a technique, it was a plausible excuse.

"Haha! What does it matter where you learned it!? Baekseo! You are the treasure of our Mysterious Profound Sect!"

Cheongdo was so excited that he hugged Jang Baekseo and gave him a piggyback ride.

Since Jang Baekseo's physique was not small, the sight was a little funny, but he stayed still because he didn't want to ruin their excited mood.

In the meantime, Cheongmu silently approached Jang Baekseo.

"Master…"

"Well done… you did well, Baekseo."

Although this matter was actually a very simple matter for Jang Baekseo, it didn't feel bad to be praised by his master like this.

As Jang Baekseo was uncharacteristically shy, another person approached him.

"Ahem! Ahem…! Baekseo, you did really well. As expected of a disciple of the great Mysterious Profound Sect, a wonderful… why are you all looking at me like that?"

It was Ju Yeongchan, who was about to say words of praise as if nothing had happened, but not only Jang Baekseo, but also Cheongmu and Cheongdo, and even Cheong Yeonah, were staring at him with strange eyes, so he had no choice but to be at a loss for words.

"…Senior Uncle."

"Uh, uh, yes, Cheongmu."

When Cheongmu called him in a low voice, Ju Yeongchan stuttered a little and answered.

"Please be careful with your words from now on."

"…Ugh~! Yes! I'm sorry!"

In the end, it was Ju Yeongchan who raised the white flag and honestly admitted his mistake.

Meanwhile.

The person who was standing on the pavilion of Qingcheng and looking down at this whole process.

Grandmaster Gwangha opened his eyes wide and looked down at the training ground without a word.

'How can this be!'

Although he could deceive the eyes of others, he could not completely deceive the eyes of Grandmaster Gwangha.

'From the beginning, Jeongpung was played in that child's hands!'

Jang Baekseo had said this loudly to the audience.

That he had not been able to properly respond to the Seventy-Two Wave Sword…

But Grandmaster Gwangha knew.

That that was a lie…

'To pierce the weakness of the continuous attacks of the Seventy-Two Wave Sword in that way…'

Although Jeongpung, who had actually fought, and the audience who had seen it up close, had not noticed, only Grandmaster Gwangha could.

This was something he could know because he was the best master of Qingcheng and at the same time, a super master who had mastered the Seventy-Two Wave Sword.

Jang Baekseo had not just simply blocked the Seventy-Two Wave Sword, but had blocked the sword in a way that attacked the method of resolving the repulsive force of the Seventy-Two Wave Sword.

Although it was not easy to notice at a glance, the very slight angle, the direction of striking, and even the nature of the energy contained in the sword when deflecting!

As a result of delicately utilizing all of those things, even though Jeongpung had attacked one-sidedly, it had brought about a result where he had rather suffered damage himself.

'Can I do it?'

Grandmaster Gwangha asked himself.

"Ugh…!"

He could not easily say yes.

It was simple to just break the Seventy-Two Wave Sword.

But to perform such a feat under the exact same conditions as Jang Baekseo, who had fought with Jeongpung just now…

'Huh… a prodigy, no, a genius…'

From the perspective of Grandmaster Gwangha, who did not know the circumstances, he had no choice but to define Jang Baekseo in that way.

'But if he had seen through the Seventy-Two Wave Sword to that extent, there would have been no need to use such a troublesome move…'

Only after thinking that far did Grandmaster Gwangha realize that for some reason, Jang Baekseo was trying to hide his true skills.

'Does the hawk hide its claws… a humble child.'

He was humble and also wise. Considering the position of the Mysterious Profound Sect now, it was a situation where the problem could have become bigger if he had won.

In that situation, he had taken care of both face and substance by taking a slight flaw upon himself, so there was no better plan than that.

'It's a great fortune for the Mysterious Profound Sect… ugh!'

Thinking that the future of the Mysterious Profound Sect would be bright since there was such a genius in the sect, Grandmaster Gwangha frowned as if his mouth was bitter, recalling that the Mysterious Profound Sect did not belong to the Qingcheng branch.

'…Should I just have them switch to the Qingcheng branch like this?'

It was an absurd thought for Grandmaster Gwangha.

(End of Chapter)